Over the last week or so I’ve read several articles on the sexualisation of children and teenagers in the press. Most of it appears to have been driven by comments made by two MPs; Claire Perry and Diane Abbott. Mrs Perry… Read More ›
Month: January 2013
Christians encouraged to donate their flesh and blood
This is an interesting partnership between the NHS and various Christian denominations and bodies: A ‘groundbreaking’ new campaign has been launched today asking the church to increase the number of blood and organ donors in the UK. It will encourage Christians to… Read More ›
The Government’s marriage bill is an exercise in trying to mix oil and water
The Government’s Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill has now been published with the second Reading on Tuesday 5 February, which will be the first opportunity MPs have to debate and vote on the Bill. It’s a hefty piece of reading at 56… Read More ›
Enough food for everyone…IF. The changes the campaign is calling for
I had the privilege yesterday evening of spending an hour in the cold taking part in the launch of the Enough Food for Everyone…IF campaign. It’s a bit of a mouthful, but I expect it will soon end up being called… Read More ›
This is our chance to change the world
Sometimes when I’m praying to God about the big things in life, at the back of my mind even though I have complete faith that He can do anything, I struggle to believe that some problems will ever go away even if… Read More ›
Being gay, Steve Chalke and where the church has got it wrong
Back in the summer of last year I was given the chance to attend a seminar on supporting LGBT students in the educational environment. Most years as a teacher I will have one or two students who are openly gay, so it made… Read More ›
Archbishop of York launches Lent resource in parliament to see change in our communities
Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York has been attending parliament today to launch this year’s Love Life Live Lent alongside Stephen Timms MP, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Faith and Society. The impressive role played by… Read More ›
Suppressing Christian belief will never improve our society
Prior to yesterday’s ruling at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), I was hoping that we would get some legal clarity on the issues of religious freedom that had been presented. If anything I was hoping for this more… Read More ›
Recommended website of the week: Law and Religion UK
When it comes to legal issues, I have to admit I’m a long way short of being an expert. I do however regularly follow the UK Human Rights Blog, which covers a whole range of legal topics, some of which are… Read More ›
What are the political issues that Christians care most about?
We’re now fully into the second half of this coalition’ government’s term in office and they’ve been very keen to tell us how they’ve been getting on through their ‘warts and all’ mid-term self-assessment. It’s impossible to assume that such… Read More ›
How much aid did the UK government give to countries where Christians are persecuted in 2012?
Earlier this week Open Doors published their annual World Watch List of the top 50 countries where Christian persecution is most severe. You can read more of Open Doors’ analysis and stories behind the numbers in this post I produced following their press… Read More ›
New global report finds persecution of Christians increased in 2012
For the last 11 years, Open Doors the charity founded in 1955 by Brother Andrew, author of God’s Smuggler has produced a list of the top 50 countries where Christians are most likely to be persecuted. This is a detailed academic exercise… Read More ›
Profiling the four Christian freedom of religion cases at the European Court of Human Rights – ruling Tuesday 15th January
We’ve been waiting years to get to this point and finally the ruling is almost upon us. Yesterday the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) announced that it will be giving its ruling on the four freedom of religion cases involving British Christians on Tues… Read More ›
Should Christians support a benefits cap?
Over in the US, according to much of the press that has filtered this way, if you’re a proper Christian, you’re supposed to vote Republican. Of course things are far from that simple, but the politics of faith does appear… Read More ›
Spiritual but not religious? No thanks, I’ve got something far better
Last week I came across an article on the BBC website entitled ‘Spiritual but not Religious’. It was written in response to a report that suggested ‘spiritual’ people may suffer worse mental health than conventionally religious, agnostic or atheist people. I… Read More ›
Why is the media in a frenzy over the gay bishop ‘news’?
I’ve thought for a while about whether to write about this subject or not since this story blew up on Friday afternoon. In one sense it’s not really news at all but the way the media has latched onto it… Read More ›
2013 – More of the same?
Before I return to the weekly routine of chewing over news stories, it feels appropriate to do the usual thing that happens as December passes into January by casting a reflective eye on the previous year and provide some philosophical ruminations to… Read More ›
God and Politics in the UK 